HK40059552B - Tongueless upper with lacing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A knitted shoe upper includes a unitary one-piece knitted element with an integrated tongue. The upper also includes a lacing system including a medial side eyestay and a lateral side eyestay. The medial side eyestay includes a plurality of medial side eyelets, and the lateral side eyestay includes a plurality of lateral side eyelets. The medial and lateral eyestays are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral and medial side eyelets without extending through the knitted element.

Description

Tongueless upper with lacing system

Cross-references to related applications

not applicable.

Statement regarding federally sponsored research or development

not applicable.

appendix

not applicable.

Background Technology

This disclosure relates to a shoe lacing system.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe comprising a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. The knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during a knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner and outer eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of outer and inner eyelets without extending through the knitted element.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe including a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. These knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The outer eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The outer eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The inner and outer eyelets together do not cover the entire tongue area of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary, and the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary. The shoe also includes laces. The laces pass through the plurality of outer eyelets and the plurality of inner eyelets such that the laces cover the knitted element but do not pass through it.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe upper, comprising a tongue region, a heel region, a lateral midfoot region, a medial midfoot region, a metatarsal region, a lateral soccer point region, a medial soccer point region, and a toe region. The metatarsal regions include a lateral metatarsal region and a medial metatarsal region. The upper has a lateral region and a medial region. The lateral region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer point region. The medial region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer point region. The upper is tongueless, such that the tongue region is integrated with the lateral and medial regions. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising a medial eyelet and a lateral eyelet. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The medial and lateral eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral and medial eyelets without extending across the upper.

Further features and advantages of this disclosure, as well as the operation of the embodiments described herein, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an inside perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the shoe of this disclosure.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an external view of the outsole shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the shoe upper shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1, including the shoelaces.

Reference figures in the written instructions and drawings indicate the corresponding items.

Detailed Implementation

An embodiment of the shoe according to this disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 20 in Figures 1 through 7. The shoe 20 includes a sole (generally indicated by 22), an upper (generally indicated by 24), and a chassis component (generally indicated by 26). The sole 22 and the chassis component 26 are attached to the upper 24. The shoe 20 extends forward from the heel end 28 to the toe end 30. The upper 24 has woven elements 32. In alternative embodiments, the upper 24 is constructed of fabric and/or other materials and may or may not be a monolithic construction.

The knitted element 32 is formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted element 32 includes a knitted tongue region 34, a knitted upper heel region 36, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region 38, a knitted upper medial midfoot region 40, a knitted upper metatarsal region 42, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region 44, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region 46, and a knitted upper toe region 48. The upper metatarsal region 42 includes a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region 50 and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region 52. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region 54 and a knitted upper medial region 56. The upper lateral region 54 includes the upper lateral midfoot region 38, the upper lateral metatarsal region 50, and the upper lateral soccer ball point region 44. The upper medial region 56 includes the upper medial midfoot region 40, the upper medial metatarsal region 52, and the upper medial soccer ball point region 46. The toe area 48 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 during the knitting process. The inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area 42 during the knitting process. The metatarsal area 42 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the outer and inner midfoot areas 38, 40 during the knitting process. The knitted upper tongue area 34 is seamlessly knitted with (1) the knitted upper toe area 48; (2) the knitted upper outer area 54; and (3) the knitted upper inner area 56. The seamless knitting of each area provides a boot-like construction and includes a one-piece tongue. In an alternative embodiment, the upper 24 has a non-one-piece tongue (e.g., the tongue is attached to the upper around the toe side and is free along at least a portion of the inner side and at least a portion of the outer side).

The shoe 20 includes a lacing system 58. The lacing system 58 includes medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are joined by a lateral portion 64 of the lacing system 58. In an alternative embodiment, the medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are separate. The medial eyelets 60 include a plurality of medial eyelets 66, and the lateral eyelets 62 include a plurality of lateral eyelets 68. The eyelets 66, 68 may be openings (e.g., in a tear-resistant material such as leather), may be partially defined by a perforation ring coupled to the upper 24, or may be other suitable openings adapted and configured to receive shoelaces. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are configured such that a single shoelace 70 can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral eyelets 68 and medial eyelets 66 without extending through the knitted element 32. The shoelace 70 passes through the medial eyelets 66 and lateral eyelets 68 such that the shoelace covers the knitted element 32 without passing through it.

To provide this lacing configuration, the inner eyelet 66 includes a plurality of inner eyelet pairs 72. Each eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the inner eyelet 60 through one eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 and exits through the other eyelet in the inner eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 72 in the plurality of inner eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced. The outer eyelet 68 includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs 74. Each eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the outer eyelet 62 through one eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 and exits through the other eyelet in the outer eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 74 in the plurality of outer eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced.

The medial eye openings 66 do not overlap longitudinally. For example, the two eye openings in a pair of medial eye openings 72 are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. In an alternative embodiment, adjacent medial eye openings 66 may be laterally spaced while longitudinally overlapping. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68. In some embodiments, each medial eye opening 66 is substantially similar in size, and the longitudinal spacing between the medial eye openings in each pair of medial eye openings 72 is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the medial eye openings 66. In an alternative embodiment, the spacing may be greater than the individual length of a medial eye opening 66. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68 and the lateral eye opening pair 74.

The inner eyelet 60 and outer eyelet 62, together with the transverse portion 64, form a U-shaped panel. The panel has an inner edge boundary 76 and an outer edge boundary 78. The inner edge boundary 76 faces the center line of the upper, and the outer edge boundary 78 faces away from the center line of the upper. The panel is sewn to the knitted element 32 in the outer edge boundary 78. In some embodiments, the panel is also sewn to the knitted element 32 in the inner edge boundary 76.

Eyelets 66 and 68 and lace 70 are positioned such that lace 70 partially covers the inner eyelet 60, and the inner eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 also partially covers the outer eyelet 62, and the outer eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 covers the inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60, and the lace covers the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62. The inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60 does not cover lace 70, and the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62 does not cover lace.

The depicted embodiment shows a shoe 20 having a knitted upper 24 and leather inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62. In alternative embodiments not depicted, the material of the shoe 20 may vary. For example, but not limited to, the upper 24 may be fabric, polymer, leather, etc. (in a monolithic or dispersed construction). The inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62 may be fabric, polymer, knitted material, etc.

In summary, it should be understood that the shoe disclosed herein has several advantages over the prior art.

Because various modifications can be made to the constructions and methods described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure, all content contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, a wedge shoe can be any type of wedge shoe, such as a wedge sandal, a wedge platform shoe, a peep-toe wedge, a platform wedge, etc. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It should also be understood that when elements of this disclosure are introduced in the claims or in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements besides those listed. Additionally, the term “part” should be interpreted as indicating some or all of the items or elements it modifies. Furthermore, the use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be interpreted in a way that imposes any relative position or chronological order among the limitations.

Tongueless upper with lacing system

Cross-references to related applications

not applicable.

Statement regarding federally sponsored research or development

not applicable.

appendix

not applicable.

Background Technology

This disclosure relates to a shoe lacing system.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe comprising a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. The knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during a knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner and outer eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of outer and inner eyelets without extending through the knitted element.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe including a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. These knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The outer eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The outer eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The inner and outer eyelets together do not cover the entire tongue area of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary, and the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary. The shoe also includes laces. The laces pass through the plurality of outer eyelets and the plurality of inner eyelets such that the laces cover the knitted element but do not pass through it.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe upper, comprising a tongue region, a heel region, a lateral midfoot region, a medial midfoot region, a metatarsal region, a lateral soccer point region, a medial soccer point region, and a toe region. The metatarsal regions include a lateral metatarsal region and a medial metatarsal region. The upper has a lateral region and a medial region. The lateral region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer point region. The medial region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer point region. The upper is tongueless, such that the tongue region is integrated with the lateral and medial regions. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising a medial eyelet and a lateral eyelet. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The medial and lateral eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral and medial eyelets without extending across the upper.

Further features and advantages of this disclosure, as well as the operation of the embodiments described herein, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an inside perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the shoe of this disclosure.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an external view of the outsole shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the shoe upper shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1, including the shoelaces.

Reference figures in the written instructions and drawings indicate the corresponding items.

Detailed Implementation

An embodiment of the shoe according to this disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 20 in Figures 1 through 7. The shoe 20 includes a sole (generally indicated by 22), an upper (generally indicated by 24), and a chassis component (generally indicated by 26). The sole 22 and the chassis component 26 are attached to the upper 24. The shoe 20 extends forward from the heel end 28 to the toe end 30. The upper 24 has woven elements 32. In alternative embodiments, the upper 24 is constructed of fabric and/or other materials and may or may not be a monolithic construction.

The knitted element 32 is formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted element 32 includes a knitted tongue region 34, a knitted upper heel region 36, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region 38, a knitted upper medial midfoot region 40, a knitted upper metatarsal region 42, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region 44, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region 46, and a knitted upper toe region 48. The upper metatarsal region 42 includes a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region 50 and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region 52. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region 54 and a knitted upper medial region 56. The upper lateral region 54 includes the upper lateral midfoot region 38, the upper lateral metatarsal region 50, and the upper lateral soccer ball point region 44. The upper medial region 56 includes the upper medial midfoot region 40, the upper medial metatarsal region 52, and the upper medial soccer ball point region 46. The toe area 48 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 during the knitting process. The inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area 42 during the knitting process. The metatarsal area 42 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the outer and inner midfoot areas 38, 40 during the knitting process. The knitted upper tongue area 34 is seamlessly knitted with (1) the knitted upper toe area 48; (2) the knitted upper outer area 54; and (3) the knitted upper inner area 56. The seamless knitting of each area provides a boot-like construction and includes a one-piece tongue. In an alternative embodiment, the upper 24 has a non-one-piece tongue (e.g., the tongue is attached to the upper around the toe side and is free along at least a portion of the inner side and at least a portion of the outer side).

The shoe 20 includes a lacing system 58. The lacing system 58 includes medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are joined by a lateral portion 64 of the lacing system 58. In an alternative embodiment, the medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are separate. The medial eyelets 60 include a plurality of medial eyelets 66, and the lateral eyelets 62 include a plurality of lateral eyelets 68. The eyelets 66, 68 may be openings (e.g., in a tear-resistant material such as leather), may be partially defined by a perforation ring coupled to the upper 24, or may be other suitable openings adapted and configured to receive shoelaces. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are configured such that a single shoelace 70 can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral eyelets 68 and medial eyelets 66 without extending through the knitted element 32. The shoelace 70 passes through the medial eyelets 66 and lateral eyelets 68 such that the shoelace covers the knitted element 32 without passing through it.

To provide this lacing configuration, the inner eyelet 66 includes a plurality of inner eyelet pairs 72. Each eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the inner eyelet 60 through one eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 and exits through the other eyelet in the inner eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 72 in the plurality of inner eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced. The outer eyelet 68 includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs 74. Each eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the outer eyelet 62 through one eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 and exits through the other eyelet in the outer eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 74 in the plurality of outer eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced.

The medial eye openings 66 do not overlap longitudinally. For example, the two eye openings in a pair of medial eye openings 72 are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. In an alternative embodiment, adjacent medial eye openings 66 may be laterally spaced while longitudinally overlapping. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68. In some embodiments, each medial eye opening 66 is substantially similar in size, and the longitudinal spacing between the medial eye openings in each pair of medial eye openings 72 is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the medial eye openings 66. In an alternative embodiment, the spacing may be greater than the individual length of a medial eye opening 66. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68 and the lateral eye opening pair 74.

The inner eyelet 60 and outer eyelet 62, together with the transverse portion 64, form a U-shaped panel. The panel has an inner edge boundary 76 and an outer edge boundary 78. The inner edge boundary 76 faces the center line of the upper, and the outer edge boundary 78 faces away from the center line of the upper. The panel is sewn to the knitted element 32 in the outer edge boundary 78. In some embodiments, the panel is also sewn to the knitted element 32 in the inner edge boundary 76.

Eyelets 66 and 68 and lace 70 are positioned such that lace 70 partially covers the inner eyelet 60, and the inner eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 also partially covers the outer eyelet 62, and the outer eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 covers the inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60, and the lace covers the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62. The inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60 does not cover lace 70, and the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62 does not cover lace.

The depicted embodiment shows a shoe 20 having a knitted upper 24 and leather inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62. In alternative embodiments not depicted, the material of the shoe 20 may vary. For example, but not limited to, the upper 24 may be fabric, polymer, leather, etc. (in a monolithic or dispersed construction). The inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62 may be fabric, polymer, knitted material, etc.

In summary, it should be understood that the shoe disclosed herein has several advantages over the prior art.

Because various modifications can be made to the constructions and methods described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure, all content contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, a wedge shoe can be any type of wedge shoe, such as a wedge sandal, a wedge platform shoe, a peep-toe wedge, a platform wedge, etc. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It should also be understood that when elements of this disclosure are introduced in the claims or in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements besides those listed. Additionally, the term “part” should be interpreted as indicating some or all of the items or elements it modifies. Furthermore, the use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be interpreted in a way that imposes any relative position or chronological order among the limitations.

Cross-references to related applications

not applicable.

Statement regarding federally sponsored research or development

not applicable.

appendix

not applicable.

Background Technology

This disclosure relates to a shoe lacing system.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe comprising a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. The knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during a knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner and outer eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of outer and inner eyelets without extending through the knitted element.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe including a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. These knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The outer eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The outer eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The inner and outer eyelets together do not cover the entire tongue area of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary, and the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary. The shoe also includes laces. The laces pass through the plurality of outer eyelets and the plurality of inner eyelets such that the laces cover the knitted element but do not pass through it.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe upper, comprising a tongue region, a heel region, a lateral midfoot region, a medial midfoot region, a metatarsal region, a lateral soccer point region, a medial soccer point region, and a toe region. The metatarsal regions include a lateral metatarsal region and a medial metatarsal region. The upper has a lateral region and a medial region. The lateral region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer point region. The medial region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer point region. The upper is tongueless, such that the tongue region is integrated with the lateral and medial regions. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising a medial eyelet and a lateral eyelet. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The medial and lateral eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral and medial eyelets without extending across the upper.

Further features and advantages of this disclosure, as well as the operation of the embodiments described herein, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an inside perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the shoe of this disclosure.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an external view of the outsole shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the shoe upper shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1, including the shoelaces.

Reference figures in the written instructions and drawings indicate the corresponding items.

Detailed Implementation

An embodiment of the shoe according to this disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 20 in Figures 1 through 7. The shoe 20 includes a sole (generally indicated by 22), an upper (generally indicated by 24), and a chassis component (generally indicated by 26). The sole 22 and the chassis component 26 are attached to the upper 24. The shoe 20 extends forward from the heel end 28 to the toe end 30. The upper 24 has woven elements 32. In alternative embodiments, the upper 24 is constructed of fabric and/or other materials and may or may not be a monolithic construction.

The knitted element 32 is formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted element 32 includes a knitted tongue region 34, a knitted upper heel region 36, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region 38, a knitted upper medial midfoot region 40, a knitted upper metatarsal region 42, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region 44, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region 46, and a knitted upper toe region 48. The upper metatarsal region 42 includes a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region 50 and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region 52. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region 54 and a knitted upper medial region 56. The upper lateral region 54 includes the upper lateral midfoot region 38, the upper lateral metatarsal region 50, and the upper lateral soccer ball point region 44. The upper medial region 56 includes the upper medial midfoot region 40, the upper medial metatarsal region 52, and the upper medial soccer ball point region 46. The toe area 48 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 during the knitting process. The inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area 42 during the knitting process. The metatarsal area 42 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the outer and inner midfoot areas 38, 40 during the knitting process. The knitted upper tongue area 34 is seamlessly knitted with (1) the knitted upper toe area 48; (2) the knitted upper outer area 54; and (3) the knitted upper inner area 56. The seamless knitting of each area provides a boot-like construction and includes a one-piece tongue. In an alternative embodiment, the upper 24 has a non-one-piece tongue (e.g., the tongue is attached to the upper around the toe side and is free along at least a portion of the inner side and at least a portion of the outer side).

The shoe 20 includes a lacing system 58. The lacing system 58 includes medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are joined by a lateral portion 64 of the lacing system 58. In an alternative embodiment, the medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are separate. The medial eyelets 60 include a plurality of medial eyelets 66, and the lateral eyelets 62 include a plurality of lateral eyelets 68. The eyelets 66, 68 may be openings (e.g., in a tear-resistant material such as leather), may be partially defined by a perforation ring coupled to the upper 24, or may be other suitable openings adapted and configured to receive shoelaces. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are configured such that a single shoelace 70 can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral eyelets 68 and medial eyelets 66 without extending through the knitted element 32. The shoelace 70 passes through the medial eyelets 66 and lateral eyelets 68 such that the shoelace covers the knitted element 32 without passing through it.

To provide this lacing configuration, the inner eyelet 66 includes a plurality of inner eyelet pairs 72. Each eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the inner eyelet 60 through one eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 and exits through the other eyelet in the inner eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 72 in the plurality of inner eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced. The outer eyelet 68 includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs 74. Each eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the outer eyelet 62 through one eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 and exits through the other eyelet in the outer eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 74 in the plurality of outer eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced.

The medial eye openings 66 do not overlap longitudinally. For example, the two eye openings in a pair of medial eye openings 72 are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. In an alternative embodiment, adjacent medial eye openings 66 may be laterally spaced while longitudinally overlapping. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68. In some embodiments, each medial eye opening 66 is substantially similar in size, and the longitudinal spacing between the medial eye openings in each pair of medial eye openings 72 is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the medial eye openings 66. In an alternative embodiment, the spacing may be greater than the individual length of a medial eye opening 66. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68 and the lateral eye opening pair 74.

The inner eyelet 60 and outer eyelet 62, together with the transverse portion 64, form a U-shaped panel. The panel has an inner edge boundary 76 and an outer edge boundary 78. The inner edge boundary 76 faces the center line of the upper, and the outer edge boundary 78 faces away from the center line of the upper. The panel is sewn to the knitted element 32 in the outer edge boundary 78. In some embodiments, the panel is also sewn to the knitted element 32 in the inner edge boundary 76.

Eyelets 66 and 68 and lace 70 are positioned such that lace 70 partially covers the inner eyelet 60, and the inner eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 also partially covers the outer eyelet 62, and the outer eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 covers the inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60, and the lace covers the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62. The inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60 does not cover lace 70, and the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62 does not cover lace.

The depicted embodiment shows a shoe 20 having a knitted upper 24 and leather inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62. In alternative embodiments not depicted, the material of the shoe 20 may vary. For example, but not limited to, the upper 24 may be fabric, polymer, leather, etc. (in a monolithic or dispersed construction). The inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62 may be fabric, polymer, knitted material, etc.

In summary, it should be understood that the shoe disclosed herein has several advantages over the prior art.

Because various modifications can be made to the constructions and methods described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure, all content contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, a wedge shoe can be any type of wedge shoe, such as a wedge sandal, a wedge platform shoe, a peep-toe wedge, a platform wedge, etc. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It should also be understood that when elements of this disclosure are introduced in the claims or in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements besides those listed. Additionally, the term “part” should be interpreted as indicating some or all of the items or elements it modifies. Furthermore, the use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be interpreted in a way that imposes any relative position or chronological order among the limitations.

Cross-references to related applications

not applicable.

Statement regarding federally sponsored research or development

not applicable.

appendix

not applicable.

Background Technology

This disclosure relates to a shoe lacing system.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe comprising a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. The knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during a knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner and outer eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of outer and inner eyelets without extending through the knitted element.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe including a knitted upper. The knitted upper includes knitted elements. These knitted elements are formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a knitted upper tongue region, a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region, and a knitted upper toe region. The upper metatarsal regions include a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region and a knitted upper medial region. The lateral upper region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer ball point region, and the medial upper region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer ball point region. The toe area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper during the knitting process. The medial and lateral soccer point areas of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area of the upper during the knitting process, and the metatarsal area of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot areas of the upper during the knitting process. The tongue area of the knitted upper is seamlessly knitted with the toe area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the lateral area of the knitted upper, seamlessly knitted with the medial area of the knitted upper, and seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial areas of the knitted upper, making the knitted element a tongue-less construction. The knitted tongue area is integral with the lateral and medial areas of the upper. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising medial and lateral eyelets. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The inner eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The outer eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge is closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The outer eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The inner and outer eyelets together do not cover the entire tongue area of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary, and the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element at its outer edge boundary. The shoe also includes laces. The laces pass through the plurality of outer eyelets and the plurality of inner eyelets such that the laces cover the knitted element but do not pass through it.

Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a shoe upper, comprising a tongue region, a heel region, a lateral midfoot region, a medial midfoot region, a metatarsal region, a lateral soccer point region, a medial soccer point region, and a toe region. The metatarsal regions include a lateral metatarsal region and a medial metatarsal region. The upper has a lateral region and a medial region. The lateral region includes the lateral midfoot region, the lateral metatarsal region, and the lateral soccer point region. The medial region includes the medial midfoot region, the medial metatarsal region, and the medial soccer point region. The upper is tongueless, such that the tongue region is integrated with the lateral and medial regions. The shoe also includes a lacing system comprising a medial eyelet and a lateral eyelet. The medial eyelet includes a plurality of medial eyelets, and the lateral eyelet includes a plurality of lateral eyelets. The medial and lateral eyelets are configured such that a single shoelace can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral and medial eyelets without extending across the upper.

Further features and advantages of this disclosure, as well as the operation of the embodiments described herein, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an inside perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the shoe of this disclosure.

Figure 2 is an inside view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an external view of the outsole shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper of the shoe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the shoe upper shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of the shoe shown in Figure 1, including the shoelaces.

Reference figures in the written instructions and drawings indicate the corresponding items.

Detailed Implementation

An embodiment of the shoe according to this disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 20 in Figures 1 through 7. The shoe 20 includes a sole (generally indicated by 22), an upper (generally indicated by 24), and a chassis component (generally indicated by 26). The sole 22 and the chassis component 26 are attached to the upper 24. The shoe 20 extends forward from the heel end 28 to the toe end 30. The upper 24 has woven elements 32. In alternative embodiments, the upper 24 is constructed of fabric and/or other materials and may or may not be a monolithic construction.

The knitted element 32 is formed as a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted element 32 includes a knitted tongue region 34, a knitted upper heel region 36, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region 38, a knitted upper medial midfoot region 40, a knitted upper metatarsal region 42, a knitted upper lateral soccer ball point region 44, a knitted upper medial soccer ball point region 46, and a knitted upper toe region 48. The upper metatarsal region 42 includes a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region 50 and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region 52. The upper has a knitted upper lateral region 54 and a knitted upper medial region 56. The upper lateral region 54 includes the upper lateral midfoot region 38, the upper lateral metatarsal region 50, and the upper lateral soccer ball point region 44. The upper medial region 56 includes the upper medial midfoot region 40, the upper medial metatarsal region 52, and the upper medial soccer ball point region 46. The toe area 48 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 during the knitting process. The inner and outer soccer point areas 46, 44 of the upper are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area 42 during the knitting process. The metatarsal area 42 of the upper is seamlessly knitted with the outer and inner midfoot areas 38, 40 during the knitting process. The knitted upper tongue area 34 is seamlessly knitted with (1) the knitted upper toe area 48; (2) the knitted upper outer area 54; and (3) the knitted upper inner area 56. The seamless knitting of each area provides a boot-like construction and includes a one-piece tongue. In an alternative embodiment, the upper 24 has a non-one-piece tongue (e.g., the tongue is attached to the upper around the toe side and is free along at least a portion of the inner side and at least a portion of the outer side).

The shoe 20 includes a lacing system 58. The lacing system 58 includes medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are joined by a lateral portion 64 of the lacing system 58. In an alternative embodiment, the medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are separate. The medial eyelets 60 include a plurality of medial eyelets 66, and the lateral eyelets 62 include a plurality of lateral eyelets 68. The eyelets 66, 68 may be openings (e.g., in a tear-resistant material such as leather), may be partially defined by a perforation ring coupled to the upper 24, or may be other suitable openings adapted and configured to receive shoelaces. The medial eyelets 60 and lateral eyelets 62 are configured such that a single shoelace 70 can be placed through each of the plurality of lateral eyelets 68 and medial eyelets 66 without extending through the knitted element 32. The shoelace 70 passes through the medial eyelets 66 and lateral eyelets 68 such that the shoelace covers the knitted element 32 without passing through it.

To provide this lacing configuration, the inner eyelet 66 includes a plurality of inner eyelet pairs 72. Each eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the inner eyelet 60 through one eyelet in the inner eyelet pair 72 and exits through the other eyelet in the inner eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 72 in the plurality of inner eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced. The outer eyelet 68 includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs 74. Each eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 is laterally and longitudinally spaced. The shoelace 70 enters the outer eyelet 62 through one eyelet in the outer eyelet pair 74 and exits through the other eyelet in the outer eyelet pair. Each eyelet pair 74 in the plurality of outer eyelet pairs is longitudinally spaced.

The medial eye openings 66 do not overlap longitudinally. For example, the two eye openings in a pair of medial eye openings 72 are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. In an alternative embodiment, adjacent medial eye openings 66 may be laterally spaced while longitudinally overlapping. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68. In some embodiments, each medial eye opening 66 is substantially similar in size, and the longitudinal spacing between the medial eye openings in each pair of medial eye openings 72 is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the medial eye openings 66. In an alternative embodiment, the spacing may be greater than the individual length of a medial eye opening 66. The same applies to the lateral eye openings 68 and the lateral eye opening pair 74.

The inner eyelet 60 and outer eyelet 62, together with the transverse portion 64, form a U-shaped panel. The panel has an inner edge boundary 76 and an outer edge boundary 78. The inner edge boundary 76 faces the center line of the upper, and the outer edge boundary 78 faces away from the center line of the upper. The panel is sewn to the knitted element 32 in the outer edge boundary 78. In some embodiments, the panel is also sewn to the knitted element 32 in the inner edge boundary 76.

Eyelets 66 and 68 and lace 70 are positioned such that lace 70 partially covers the inner eyelet 60, and the inner eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 also partially covers the outer eyelet 62, and the outer eyelet partially covers the lace. Lace 70 covers the inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60, and the lace covers the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62. The inner edge boundary 76 of the inner eyelet 60 does not cover lace 70, and the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet 62 does not cover lace.

The depicted embodiment shows a shoe 20 having a knitted upper 24 and leather inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62. In alternative embodiments not depicted, the material of the shoe 20 may vary. For example, but not limited to, the upper 24 may be fabric, polymer, leather, etc. (in a monolithic or dispersed construction). The inner and outer eyelets 60 and 62 may be fabric, polymer, knitted material, etc.

In summary, it should be understood that the shoe disclosed herein has several advantages over the prior art.

Because various modifications can be made to the constructions and methods described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure, all content contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. For example, a wedge shoe can be any type of wedge shoe, such as a wedge sandal, a wedge platform shoe, a peep-toe wedge, a platform wedge, etc. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It should also be understood that when elements of this disclosure are introduced in the claims or in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements besides those listed. Additionally, the term “part” should be interpreted as indicating some or all of the items or elements it modifies. Furthermore, the use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be interpreted in a way that imposes any relative position or chronological order among the limitations.

Claims (14)

1. A shoe comprising:

A knitted upper, comprising knitted elements formed from a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a tongue area, a heel area, a lateral midfoot area, a medial midfoot area, a metatarsal area, a lateral soccer ball point area, a medial soccer ball point area, and a toe area. The metatarsal areas include a lateral metatarsal area and a medial metatarsal area. The knitted upper has a lateral area and a medial area. The lateral area includes the lateral midfoot area, the lateral metatarsal area, and the lateral soccer ball point area. The medial area includes the medial midfoot area, the medial metatarsal area, and the medial soccer ball point area. The knitted upper tongue... The knitted upper comprises a tongue region, a heel region, and a toe region. During the knitting process, the toe region is seamlessly knitted with the medial and lateral soccer ball point regions of the knitted upper. During the knitting process, the medial and lateral soccer ball point regions are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal region of the knitted upper. During the knitting process, the metatarsal region is seamlessly knitted with the lateral and medial midfoot regions of the knitted upper. The tongue region is seamlessly knitted with the toe region, the lateral region, the medial region, and the lateral and medial regions of the knitted upper, making the knitted upper a tongue-less structure.

The lacing system includes shoelaces, an inner eyelet, and an outer eyelet. The inner eyelet is adjacent to the tongue area of the knitted upper and to the inner side of the knitted upper, and includes a plurality of inner eyelets. The outer eyelet is adjacent to the tongue area of the knitted upper and to the outer side of the knitted upper, and includes a plurality of outer eyelets. The inner and outer eyelets are spaced apart from each other and extend longitudinally between the ankle opening and the toe area of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary and an outer edge boundary. The inner edge boundary faces the center line of the knitted upper, and the outer edge boundary faces away from the center line of the knitted upper. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element in both the outer and inner edge boundaries. The outer eyelet has an inner edge boundary and an outer edge boundary, the inner edge boundary facing the center line of the knitted upper, and the outer edge boundary facing away from the center line of the knitted upper. The outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element in both the outer and inner edge boundaries. The plurality of inner eyelets include a plurality of pairs of inner eyelets, each... Each eyelet in the inner eyelet pair is horizontally and vertically spaced from its corresponding eyelet in the same inner eyelet pair. Each pair of eyelets in the plurality of inner eyelet pairs is vertically spaced. The plurality of outer eyelets includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs, each eyelet in each outer eyelet pair being horizontally and vertically spaced from its corresponding eyelet in the same outer eyelet pair. Each pair of eyelets in the plurality of outer eyelet pairs is vertically spaced. The shoelace passes through and across two eyelets of the first pair of inner eyelet pairs, such that the portion of the shoelace crossing the eyelets of the first pair of inner eyelet pairs... The laces are covered by the inner eyelets and sandwiched between the inner eyelets and the knitted element. The portion of the laces that crosses the first pair of eyelets in the inner eyelet pair does not extend through the knitted element. The laces pass through and cross the two eyelets of the first pair in the outer eyelet pair, such that the portion of the laces that crosses the first pair of eyelets in the outer eyelet pair is covered by the outer eyelets and sandwiched between the outer eyelets and the knitted element. The portion of the laces that crosses the first pair of eyelets in the outer eyelet pair does not extend through the knitted element.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner eyelets do not overlap in the longitudinal direction.

3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the plurality of outer eyelets do not overlap in the longitudinal direction.

4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein each inner eyelet is similar in size, and wherein the inner eyelets in each pair of inner eyelets are longitudinally spaced apart by a length substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the inner eyelets.

5. The shoe of claim 4, wherein each outer eyelet is similar in size, and wherein the outer eyelets in each pair of outer eyelets are longitudinally spaced apart by a length substantially equal to the longitudinal length of one of the outer eyelets.

6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer eyelets include eyelet guards.

7. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the inner eyelet and the outer eyelet comprise a non-knitted material.

8. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the inner eyelet and the outer eyelet comprise leather.

9. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner eyelets and the plurality of outer eyelets are longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction.

10. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer eyelets are made of a different material from the tongue region of the knitted upper and the inner and outer regions of the knitted upper.

11. A shoe comprising:

A knitted upper, comprising knitted elements formed from a single piece on a knitting machine during the knitting process. The knitted elements include a tongue area, a heel area, a lateral midfoot area, a medial midfoot area, a metatarsal area, a lateral soccer ball point area, a medial soccer ball point area, and a toe area. The metatarsal areas include a lateral metatarsal area and a medial metatarsal area. The knitted upper has a lateral area and a medial area. The lateral area includes the lateral midfoot area, the lateral metatarsal area, and the lateral soccer ball point area. The medial area includes the medial midfoot area, the medial metatarsal area, and the medial soccer ball point area. The knitted upper tongue... The knitted upper comprises a tongue area, a heel area, and a toe area. The toe area is seamlessly knitted with the inner and outer soccer ball point areas during the knitting process. The inner and outer soccer ball point areas are seamlessly knitted with the metatarsal area during the knitting process. The metatarsal area is seamlessly knitted with the outer and inner midfoot areas during the knitting process. The tongue area is seamlessly knitted with the toe area, the outer area, the inner area, and the outer and inner areas, resulting in a tongue-less upper structure.

A lacing system comprising laces, an inner eyelet, and an outer eyelet. The inner eyelet includes a plurality of inner eyelets, and the outer eyelet includes a plurality of outer eyelets. The inner eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, the inner edge being closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The inner eyelet has an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge. The outer eyelet extends laterally between an inner edge and an outer edge, the inner edge being closer to the longitudinal centerline of the knitted upper than the outer edge. The side eyelets have an inner edge boundary adjacent to the inner edge and an outer edge boundary adjacent to the outer edge, wherein the inner and outer eyelets together do not cover the entire area of the knitted upper tongue region. The inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element along the inner edge boundary of the inner eyelet, the inner eyelet is sewn to the knitted element along the outer edge boundary of the inner eyelet, the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element along the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet, and the outer eyelet is sewn to the knitted element along the outer edge boundary of the outer eyelet.

The plurality of inner eyelets includes a plurality of inner eyelet pairs, and the plurality of outer eyelets includes a plurality of outer eyelet pairs. The shoelace passes through and across two eyelets of the first pair of the inner eyelet pairs, such that the portion of the shoelace that passes through the eyelets of the first pair of the inner eyelet pairs is covered by the inner eyelets and sandwiched between the inner eyelets and the knitted element. The portion of the shoelace that passes through the eyelets of the first pair of the inner eyelet pairs does not extend through the knitted element. The shoelace passes through and across two eyelets of the first pair of the outer eyelet pairs, such that the portion of the shoelace that passes through the eyelets of the first pair of the outer eyelet pairs is covered by the outer eyelets and sandwiched between the outer eyelets and the knitted element. The portion of the shoelace that passes through the eyelets of the first pair of the outer eyelet pairs does not extend through the knitted element.

12. The shoe of claim 11, wherein the shoelace partially covers the inner eyelet and the inner eyelet partially covers the shoelace, and wherein the shoelace partially covers the outer eyelet and the outer eyelet partially covers the shoelace.

13. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the shoelace covers the inner edge boundary of the inner eyelet, and wherein the shoelace covers the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet.

14. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the inner edge boundary of the inner eyelet does not cover the laces, and wherein the inner edge boundary of the outer eyelet does not cover the laces.